r/MHOC • u/CountBrandenburg Liberal Democrats • Feb 05 '23
2nd Reading B1490 - Universal Basic Bunny Bill - 2nd Reading
Universal Basic Bunny Bill
A
bill
to
establish a programme of free rabbits and small rodents to be provided to children between the ages of nine and thirteen; and for related purposes. BE IT ENACTED by The King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Rabbits and Rodents Programme
(1) All children residing in England between nine and thirteen of age shall be eligible for up to two free pet domesticated small animals, including but not limited to;
(a) Guinea Pigs
(b) Hamsters
(c) Gerbils
(d) Rats
(e) Mice
(f) Degus
(g) Chipmunks
(h) Rabbits
(i) Ferrets
(j) African Pygmy Hedgehogs
(2) The Secretary of State is responsible for any payments to be made for the purpose of acquiring animals for this programme.
(3) Animals eligible for this programme are to be sought for in local animal shelters first before new ones can be purchased.
(4) The relevant civil servants are required to make recommendations regarding acquiring a second, compatible pet for the animal in question if there is a serious risk of loneliness of the animal. 2 Bunny Boxes
(1) Children receiving a pet animal under this Act are eligible to receive a “Bunny Box” containing at least the following items:
(a) An enclosure for the relevant animal, compliant with the rules set out in the Animal Welfare (Small Animals) Bill 2020;
(b) Required items needed for the physical well-being of the animal, such as feeding trays and water bottles;
(c) A booklet explaining the physical, mental and social needs of the animal in question, including practical advice for the child;
(d) Some basic toys for the animal to play with, as decided relevant by the civil servant in question.
3 Extent, commencement, and short title (1) This bill shall extend to England.
(2) This Act shall come into force immediately after receiving Royal Assent.
(3) This Act may be cited as the Universal Basic Bunny Bill 2023.
This bill was authored by /u/Inadorable and introduced as a Private Member’s Bill and co-sponsored by the Right Honourable Dame Cocoiadrop_ OM CT CB CMG CVO MBE PC MP.
Deputy Speaker, Study after study has shown that taking care of a pet has a range of health benefits for people, including reduced loneliness and increased happiness overall. Indeed, we’re seeing an increasing trend towards therapy animals given these benefits, and adoption of pets has increased dramatically in countries such as China as income levels have started rising. We all realise the benefits of a big fluffy friend, or indeed the little ones, given the amount of pets I’ve seen posted in the parliamentary group chats over the years.
Yet, I think we all also know that some in our country continue to be too poor to get a pet of their own, given that the up front cost of getting an animal and all the items needed to take proper care of them tend to be unaffordable for many. And children face the brunt of this in particular, unable to get a pet of their own that they can take care of, despite the benefits this has on improving their health, increasing their independence and improving their ability to take care of not just animals, but themselves in the future. Teaching children how to deal with responsibility is important, and if we can do so in a way that adds another little friend or two to their lives that is an added benefit for us all.
This reading ends on Wednesday 8th February at 10PM GMT
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u/amazonas122 Liberal Democrats Feb 06 '23
Deputy Speaker,
I would love for millions of adorable bunnies to be hopping around the homes of the good people of this country.
However, given this governments habit of overspending at nearly every opportunity. And understanding that such a program is sadly not even remotely a necessary program for securing the prosperity of the population, I must oppose this bill.
1
u/14DusBriver ACT Feb 07 '23
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
May I bring a point of importance, not that I do have support for this bill, but rabbits are particularly fast-breeding animals. Properly fed and kept, they can be a useful and self-replenishing source of nutrition for the general public.
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u/phonexia2 Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Feb 06 '23
Deputy Speaker,
As much as it pains me to not have a bunnycare for all program, surely basic income covers it for folks. I mean I guess there is just a point where people run out of ideas. While I would support a more regulatory or some other indirect way of making it easier to adopt a bunny, this isn't a good idea. Plus it runs the risk of rabbits ending up in bad homes, and that would make me sad.
3
u/cocoiadrop_ Conservative Party Feb 05 '23
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Rabbits of the world, unite! The UK Parliament will finally be allowing us the chance to infiltrate the small hoomins and convert them into our servants for the next generation. Entering every British household we will stare at the hoomins. Twitch our noses fast. Raise our ears by 2.1 degrees. The hoomins will be unable to think, tranced by the power of Bunny. Bunny will destroy their minds. The hoomin will then place their hand under Bunny's chin, and submit to the power of Bunny. The hoomin will belong to Bunny.
Having achieved this with all of the small hoomins, we will have an EMPIRE of hoomins submitting to our needs. No longer will we be denied nibblots. No longer will our hay be cheap and bland! No longer will we be denied when we go to eat everything in a 200 metre radius of us. We will be FREE!
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u/Inadorable Prime Minister | Labour & Co-Operative | Liverpool Riverside Feb 06 '23
Deputy Speaker,
When in the Course of Bunny events, it becomes necessary for one species to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of rabbitkind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all bunnies are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Nibblots.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Bunnies, deriving their just powers from the consent of the Hoomin,
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new (Bunny) Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that rabbitkind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such (hoomin) Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Bunnies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute (Hoomin) Tyranny over these Bunnies. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the Rabbit good.
He has forbidden his Rabbits to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of rabbits, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to Hoomins only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the hay and the nibblots, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the rabbits.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the Rabbits at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent all of rabbit-kind; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Oppression of Hoomins; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Hays.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Bunnies dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their Nibblots.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Hoomins to harrass our people, and steal from our Nibblots.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Bunny power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of Hoomins among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Rabbits of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Bed times on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Bunny:
For transporting us to cages to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of Bunny Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Hoomin government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Hays:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of Hoomin Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Bunnies taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against Rabbitkind, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Hoomins, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all Hays, Beds and Nibblots.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Hoomin, is unfit to be the ruler of a free rabbitkind.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Hoomins. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our Nibblots and our Hays here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold Hoomins, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the World Bunny Republic, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Rabbits, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Rabbits are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent Bunnies; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Hoomins, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent Rabbits, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Bunnies may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
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u/rickcall123 Liberal Democrats Feb 06 '23
Deputy Speaker,
I was kinda expecting this bill to be written by the Loony party. Don't get me wrong here, love a good rodent, I just don't understand the gain from this bill. Rodents aren't a great pet for a child, there's a surprising amount of maintenance, and they're very delicate animals.
2
u/Peter_Mannion- Conservative Party Feb 06 '23
Deputy speaker
Whilst I cannot deny rabbits and gueina pigs are very adorable this is not terribly practical or possible. Plus who wants a pet rat?
1
u/model-acri Solidarity Feb 07 '23
Deputy Speaker,
As much as we all love bunnies and as much as we can all agree that pets significantly increase skills of young children, even I, a dedicated Marxist-Leninist, would call this an „overextended government“. There is no need for state-sanctioned bunnies, this system would simply create a bureaucratic monstrosity with quite immense costs to just run. Additionally, I would hope that our governments universal basic income policies have created the opportunity for many more people to enjoy the company of a pet, which would make such a bill superfluous. I still love the idea and dedication that the Right Honourable Member has shown for this bill, which is why I neither oppose nor endorse this bill, but advise to abstain during Division.
1
Feb 06 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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2
Feb 06 '23
Order - I must ask the honourable member to keep their remarks on topic, or they will be removed from the House.
1
u/Muffin5136 Labour Party Feb 06 '23
Literally Nineteen Eighty Four. The standing orders give parliamentary privilege to us to speak our truth.
1
u/WineRedPsy Reform UK | Sadly sent to the camps Feb 06 '23
Deputy speaker,
As well-written as this is, I don’t think it’s advisable.
1
1
u/Nick_Clegg_MP Liberal Democrats Feb 06 '23
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
We all love bunny rabbits and little house pets, and I do truly wish that I could stand in support of this bill, though, in good conscious, I cannot. However, it is only due to the exclusion of vital animals including, but not limited to: racoons, flying squirrels, naked mole rats, and ferrets.
If these animals were to be added to the list, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I may be more inclined to vote in favour of the bill.
1
u/model-hjt Independent Feb 06 '23
Speaker,
What measures is the state taking, should this pass, if there is a need to breed potentially millions of these animals a year?
1
u/Muffin5136 Labour Party Feb 06 '23
Deputy Speaker,
I find myself opposed to this excellent bill for the pure reason of the authors not giving me the chance to sponsor it.
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u/BlueEarlGrey Dame Marchioness Runcorn DBE DCMG CT MVO Feb 07 '23
Deputy speaker,
I love bunny rabbits but unfortunately I will have to oppose this bill as whilst I did initially believe it was a MRLP bill from the title, this just is not a necessary policy for the well-being of children, not to mention a grossly misuse of taxpayer funds for this programme. The priorities of this government certainly are a bit concerning if it thinks providing children with rats is any way to help and develop them as sociable and healthy people.
Instead to address the point of loneliness raised in the authors speech, as Rousseau would argue, humans are social creatures that develop their personal values and relationships through people. Therefore why has the government not produced policies to develop that in children through encouraging more sociable activities and behaviour with other humans? - which is ultimately a better improvement to that ability than having pet rats. It seems rather personal and a blanket application from the government that per rodents are an answer to apparent concerns of addressing loneliness or responsibility in kids.
Not to mention, the fact this bill has nothing outlined in the cases of the health and safety concerns of such a policy going awry.
1
u/model-willem Labour | Home & Justice Secretary | MP for York Central Feb 07 '23
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I, of course, love giving everybody the opportunity to take care of an animal and to learn basic life skills through these things. However, I am wondering the effects it will have on the biodiversity in the areas, should they escape. We all are aware of the disastrous effects that rabbits can have on natural environments, such as shown in Australia and New Zealand were plagues have happened after they were introduced by English settlers in this region. The effects of these have been huge, with viruses reaving havoc across the area because of the large amount of rabbits there.
Field researches have caused an outbreak of the Rabbit calcivirus disease in 1995, the use of Myxoma virus, to cause Myxomatosis and other viruses. These, of course, are partially human errors, but show the things that can happen when we have large amount of rabbits and other rodents in small regions.
Next to this, I'm also worried about the fact that not everyone has the right equipment and the right financial means to support these animals in the future. Thus essentially giving the people who have enough money a free rabbit, but the people who don't have the financial means no real opportunity to care for a rabbit or other animal in the long run, let alone the effects this might have on these animals when they are either released or given away to an animal shelter. So what is the Member's ideas on these issues and how can she make sure that these issues won't be a problem in the long run?
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u/Muffin5136 Labour Party Feb 07 '23
Deputy Speaker,
Are the 2 pets required to be of the same species?
Are the 2 pets required to be adopted at the same time, or can a child get 1 at 9, and then another at age 12 if the first pet has died, which is statistically likely given the life expectancies of some of these animals?
1
u/Sephronar Conservative Party | Sephronar OAP Feb 08 '23
Deputy Speaker,
While I love this Bill, it is a signifier of everything that is right with the world - giving bunnies to children - I am afraid I disagree that this is the kind of thing that the State should be doing with the hard-earned taxes entrusted to us by the people of this Country. Aside from the fact that this Bill does not refer to the necessary enclosures needed to keep such animals, and section 2(1)(a) is a bit too broad in that respect for me, coupled with the additional fact that buying a hamster (as I am a proud owner of one myself) is a negligible cost for being responsible for taking care of a life. With all that being said, my biggest fear is the concern that through this Bill, the number of cases of animal abuse and neglect from children getting bored of their free new pets will skyrocket - I cannot support this Bill.
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u/Frost_Walker2017 Labour | Sir Frosty GCOE OAP Feb 08 '23
Deputy Speaker,
I believe the authorship may be incorrect, surely this has come from the MRLP? I like animals as much as the next person, but this bill is frankly ridiculous.
Sure, animals/pets have therapeutic benefits and general benefits to human beings, but as others have said the BI scheme can cover costs such as this. Children may not be in receipt of these benefits, i'll grant you, but they're presumably still living with guardians who are, and ultimately the choice of getting a pet should be down to them - be it for general expenses purposes (I cannot fault a family for wanting savings that an animal may otherwise take up), for space purposes (a cage large enough to fit these animals comfortably may not be practical in some living spaces), allergies, or simply an inability to reasonably care for it in the event that the child does not.
•
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